I’m evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they’re letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it’s still free.

One remarkable thing about this world we are living in is that nothing is
perfect. And this element of imperfection has seeped its way into everything
and everybody, which is probably why we’re always hearing, “no one is
perfect.“

But in my opinion, there’s a lot of hope and encouragement embedded in
this statement because it helps us to accept ourselves as human beings – with
all our inherent weaknesses and imperfections. Oh yes we all have them. We
have our share of bad (you may read that as not-so-good) habits and deep
down inside us there is a murky something from which all these base
cravings and the tendency to cling on to them take birth.

But even when it comes to bad habits, there is a ray of hope. Just like every
dark cloud has a silver lining, deep down inside us there is something that
cries out in a very plaintive voice. And it is this something that makes us
squirm when we think about the habit as such.

The moment somebody starts talking about our habit, we feel queasy. The
fact is, even we know that something has to be done about it and it is this
feeling that makes us squirm. This silver lining is what makes us take sneak
peeks at manuals like this one, which are like stepping stones towards
quitting the habit.

Step 1: Decision Time

Let’s get one thing straight. Wanting is very different from deciding.It may seem like the same thing but really it’s not. There is a sea ofdifference between wanting to quit and actually deciding to quit. You haveprobably wanted to quit the very day that you started smoking, but as can beclearly seen, it just didn’t happen.On the other hand, deciding is a very serious issue. It is something that canaffect our self esteem and our dignity because once we decide then we haveto stick to the decision right? And that is not going to be easy.

Step 2: Be Prepared

This is a task that can be achieved only if you are well and truly prepared. There is an old saying that says “well begun is half done,” and the same thing rings true in the matter of quitting as well.

There are many other things that you could practice when you get the urge to smoke.

• Music

Music is a wonderful way of getting your mind off that urge to smoke. If you have fixed times for getting a smoke like after meals or during the coffee break you could try playing something very soothing using a walk man and head phones so that you do not disturb others though you might attract attention. Another thing you could do is that you could play music on your computer if you have a work station all to your self.

• Meditation

Meditation is also an excellent way of helping you to get better control over your mind. It is not a very great thing too. Any body can learn the art with a little bit of practice. Now I hope you will pardon me if I digress a bit from our topic and give you a few essential points on how to meditate because this as I see it is the best method of helping you to gain better control over you mind and there by get over that urge to take in that puff of smoke.

• Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises too can prove to be useful in controlling the urge to smoke. It is common knowledge that the human body takes in a lot of toxic substances, both through the air and through food and drink. Apart from this, various toxins are also released in the body as a result of the various processes that are going on. These toxins have to be released on a continuous basis or else they will accumulate in the body with serious results.

One of the best ways of releasing these toxins is by means of exhaling while breathing. One funny fact is that most of do not breathe properly. Just take a look at the picture like this. With each breath that we take, we take in oxygen. This oxygen is carried by the blood to every cell of the body and every cell must indeed get enough oxygen not just to survive but to remain healthy as well.

Make a list of all the smokers around you who you know closely. And then what you have to do is STAY AWAY FROM THEM. Unless they too are trying to quit, keep a very safe distance from them. If you had a habit of smoking with them at fixed times, take special care to steer very clear of them at those fixed times.

Step 3: The Process

Now when we come to the actual quitting process, I would like to remind you once again that it is not going to be easy. Please do not consider yourself to be superhuman so be ready to get external help if you need it. As I told you earlier, there might be physical, mental and emotional changes when you stop smoking. But you do not have to worry. There is plenty of help available nowadays.

Stage 4: A Change Is Coming

Nothing is permanent in this world except change. So when you plan to stop smoking, bring about other changes in your life style as well. Take a look at all those things that have become a kind of routine and break that routine. Try to do things differently and will make a lot of difference.

While you are trying to quit smoking, try to double your intake of fluids. Drink as much water as you can at least 12 to 15 glasses a day. If you can have fresh fruit juice, then it is even better. But I don’t think it is possible for a person to have 12 glasses of fresh juice every day.

A few more pointers on what to eat…

• Choose a variety of foods from all food groups every day. This is a fine way of keeping deficiency diseases at bay.
• Steer clear of food supplements or nutraceuticals as they are sometimes called. If you are eating properly, you do not need any supplements.
• It is best to go for natural foods instead of processed or packed foods.
• Eat fresh fruit instead of drinking fresh juices whenever you can. Fresh fruit has a lot more fiber, which your body needs.
• Go crazy on vegetables and salads; they can never do much harm.
• If you can say no to alcoholic beverages please do.
• The next time you are thirsty, try drinking water instead of soda. Your body prefers water in its purest form.
• Increase your intake of fluids. Try and drink at least 12 glasses of water every day; it helps to flush out all those toxins.
• Wash your vegetables and fruits well before consumption and search for packets that say ‘free from pesticides.’

Practice these eating habits and before you know it, you will have a whole new body, which you certainly won’t want to pollute with cigarette smoke.

When you done managed to quit smoking and what you have now is a whole new life. It is almost as if you have been given a second chance. This life of yours is like a new gift. You know better than any one else what you have been through and how difficult it was to get through that horrid tunnel. But yet you survived like many others. You shudder at the very thought of going back there.